Billion Dollar Vows

Chapter 2

JAMES

My father had one month to live. I landed in Edinburgh thirty minutes later.

My private jet landed seamlessly in the misty city of Edinburgh. The Black Range Rover waited, the headlights blinking near the Jet. Without hesitation, I stood up and descended the stairs into the chilly weather of Edinburgh. My strides were so quick I didn't bother to return the greeting of the fellow men on each side of the red carpet rolled out for me. My only focus was on the car, which would lead us to the Hospital.

My PA, Vincent, held the door out for me which I slid into while he jogged into the passenger seat, already informing the driver of the information I told him earlier.

‘Drive as fast as you can!’

A wave of instant nostalgia hit me as I drove through the city where I grew up. My mind instantly rushed to conclusions I knew were detrimental to my own mental health. My thoughts were on the man that built me into who I am today. Today it was revealed to me that he had cancer.

After what seemed like forever, we arrived at the Northfield Royal Hospital, Edinburgh. The car halted to a stop and everyone in the car instantly came out.

I strode into the Hospital's lobby, my leather dress shoes clicking a rhythmic beat across the polished tiles.

My father, Mr Thompson Harrison II, was sick. I cursed my family for not telling me sooner about my father's health. I had all the money in the world, I would have flown the best doctors for his chemotherapy, but everyone betrayed me. Everyone was silent.

I stood outside the ER room where my father lay almost lifeless. The nurses explained he had just finished his session and he was with the radiologist.

My hands curled in a fist, my breathing shallow. If anything were to happen to the man, I called my father, I would make sure blood was on my hands.

Anyone who met my gaze quickly looked away: The Doctor, the nurses, Vincent. I was unraveling, and I couldn’t control the beast within. After some minutes, the doctors came out and spoke to me with some crap I wasn’t in the mood to hear. I needed to speak to my father.

With hurried legs, I entered the room and my breath hitched instantly. My eyes locked on an unfamiliar face, my eyes meeting her pure light blue ones first. I could swear it immediately unraveled my composure that was already slipping away by the minute.

Her blue eyes matched the light blue dress she had on. Her eyes scanned mine, her lips in a pout and her brows furrowed.

Beside her was a familiar man in his sixties that I grew up seeing together with my father. It was my father's best friend, Paul Hamilton.

. An instant of guilt washed my senses when I saw my father's eyes closed, his skin was frail and his head had no spec of hair in sight.

On the bed laid my father. He was my first hero. He was constantly strong, but now my heart sank when I saw wires connected to him, so he could survive.

“James, my only son,” My father looked up to me with a weak smile. It took everything for me to restrain myself from running to hug my father, just like old times. I puffed out a sigh. My heart clenched at the sight of him. He never told me he had cancer.

When my mother called me to inquire about some money for her shopping, she rarely mentioned her father was sick, and even at that she never made it seem like it was a big deal. Deep within me, I knew she couldn’t care even if she wanted to. Her gold-digging, narcissistic tendencies couldn’t be hidden even at a critical time like this.

Your mother was meant to be with me, but is on a shopping spree in Monaco. I gave up on the idea of divorce, so you and your sisters grew up in a complete family, now there’s nothing complete about it.”

“I have a month to live, but don’t worry, it took time for me to accept it. Now I have.” My father added.

In my father's hands, my hands moved uncontrollably. My suit was suddenly too tight.

“Father, they are lying!” I snap. My heart sank at his words and I felt so powerless knowing there was nothing I could possibly do right now.

My father smiled at me. He tapped the back of my hands that were firmly holding mine.

“Keep being a good man, James, and just do this one favor. I have had a wish since you were little,” my father said.

“From the moment you showed true competence, you grew your company with strength and tenacity. My only wish now is to see your wedding day,” my father concluded.

My father was dying. His head was completely bald. His veins popped out and the only thing in his mind was what he perceived to be my happiness. His only wish was to see me married? My body froze, and my mouth dropped wide agape.

My father continued. “That is Mr Hamilton, you remember him, right? And that is his daughter, Leila. They came to see me.”

My eyes went back to the light blue ones I saw immediately when I entered.

“Please settle down and marry. That’s all I ask of you.”

My father's last statement made the room thick. It wasn’t of anticipation, it was of simply not knowing what would come next out of our conversation.

“Yes, son, our dear Leila is an amazing person. I spoke to your father about it months ago, and he agreed to it,” said Paul Hamilton.

My eyes instantly locked onto the tall, fair-skinned female and her eyes met mine. Her breath hitched instantly. We had the same shock.

“You can marry Leila. I trust her father, and we don’t need another nonchalant matriarch in the family to be there for you when I’m gone,” my father elaborated. I didn't miss the hurt in his words from how my mother handled his sickness. The lady, whose name I know to be Leila, spoke up immediately.

“Father, what do you mean when you say marriage? I am in love with Barry!” She spat back at her father.

Her father's eyes twitched as he faced his daughter. “I’ve told you for the millionth time, Leila, that t**t is undeserving to be your husband. He is an unserious man, I simply cannot have regards for him.”

Leila looked at her father, horror written across her face.

“Dad, I love Barry regardless, we’ve been together for six years!”

Her father's shoulders were visibly tense. I had to butt into their annoying conversation that suddenly…piqued my interest.

“You’ve been together for six years, and he never claimed you as his?” It was a question I asked myself more than Leila.

Her hair whipped across her shoulder as she turned, her eyes narrowing into something sharp.

“Wait, what is this Dad? I didn't sign up for this,” she said.

My father’s loud cough brought my attention back to him. The only thing that rang in my head was to fulfill his wish, his desire.

“Father, is this your only wish, to see my ceremony?” I asked. My hands are still firm in his.

“Yes My son,”

"Then you shall see it dad...very soon."